A pop-up medical marijuana information center opens in Canberra soon

The Med Shed group, consisting of 80 medical cannabis advocates; plan to open a medical marijuana dispensary where marijuana products are sold from a shop front. It has been their aim since May when the group was formed.

This follows the recent announcement by ACT government that medicinal cannabis may soon be legalized in Australia.

Access to medical marijuana information

Canberrans will be able to visit the medical marijuana information centre as soon as September. Matthew Holmes group coordinator said the group was pleased by the ACT government’s recent decision to establish a medical cannabis scheme. This will allow Canberrans to acquire medical cannabis products safely and legally.

Holmes said they believe they have helped to establish a responsible and professional image for medical cannabis. They will have an event called ‘Floral Aid’ in September to campaign publicly.

The group will be going on to the streets and will set up a pop-up information centre they hope will become a permanent office and model cannabis dispensary. They won’t be selling products yet but will be providing the public with information.

The location is not yet clear but will be in a very public place, says Holmes.

No more using medical cannabis illegally

The Med Shed group includes a number of people who suffer pain, nausea and seizure who use medicinal cannabis illegally to find relief.

Assistant health minister Meegan Fitzharris’ promise that the government’s scheme would be set up in a way that was evidence-based and supported vulnerable people, was welcomed by the group but Holmes said the scheme should include a framework for supply.

The government scheme

The government scheme would support prescription, use and distribution of medicinal cannabis products but is unlikely to sanction its production. Currently, the government policy restricts anyone from producing medical cannabis products in Canberra. Mr. Holmes is hopeful that if they can set up the security and back end that they could sway the situation.

He says if there is no supply model going hand-in-hand with a distribution model and user model there will be a crisis, and low quality products will find their way onto the market. There should be standardization of products if marijuana is to be used medicinally in an effective way. He also called on the government to ensure the scheme goes beyond pharmaceutical products as he feels the community needs herbal cannabis products.

He said there are definite needs for groups of patients who need whole-plant products. The medical cannabis scheme is expected to be in place by 2017 with ACT following in the footsteps of Victoria, NSW and Queensland.

Hooray for ACT

This is great news for Australian Capital Territory, as medical marijuana information and products will soon be available to residents. Patients in the area will be able to make an informed choice, and gain access to reputable products.

These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease. Always check with your physician before starting a new dietary supplement program. * Cannabidiol (CBD) is a natural constituent of hemp oil.